In many instances, it is necessary to determine whether a closed area is occupied by a person prior to entering that area. One prime example of this is a unisex bathroom—it is often necessary to inform a person whether a unisex bathroom such as a portable toilet or a bathroom on an airplane is occupied prior to the person entering the bathroom. In fact, statutes such as the 2004 Oregon Structural Specialty Code actually require unisex bathrooms to have an occupied indicator in addition to a privacy lock.
It is also necessary in some instances to perform a single operation to open a door and leave an area. In fact, some building codes, such as the 2003 International Building Code, contain a requirement that opening a door should not require more than one operation. A single operation is known to mean pushing open a door to leave an area. More than one operation is known to mean turning a lever or a latch in addition to the operation of pushing on the door to open the door and leave the area.
Prior art occupancy indication devices inadequately provide indication signals for room occupancy while allowing builders to satisfy these type of building code limitations (among others). For example, many prior devices which are installed on unisex bathrooms are not simply room occupancy indicators, but also perform a locking function when operated. Often, these prior art devices lock the occupant inside the room when the “occupied” sign is displayed. This is often undesirable. In non-unisex bathroom settings, as well as some unisex bathroom installations, it is necessary to provide an occupancy indication device which is separate from a door locking mechanism. Additionally, the prior art devices do not allow for a person to exit the area by performing a single operation and still provide the correct occupation status to a person wishing to enter the area. These prior art occupancy indication devices must first be manually signaled to indicate that the area is unoccupied prior to opening the door. It is only after providing the correct signal to a person wishing to enter is the person inside the area capable of leaving the area.